I were We were
He were They were
You were
Examples:
I wish she were there (expresses a wish)
If she were here, she would help us. (expresses a condition to actual fact)
Wrong: | I wish I was as tall as my father. |
Right: | I wish I were as tall as my father. |
Wrong: | If Anna was here now, she would show you how to sing. |
Right: | If Anna were here now, she would show you how to sing. |
To express situations involving obligation or duty forms, such word as 'must', 'should', 'ought' are used.
Examples:
We must reach our target.
I should clean the room today.
He ought to help his friend.
Sometimes a common error arises due to the use of an indicative to express duty/obligation.
Wrong: | If he comes, do I tell him to stay back? |
Right: | If he comes, should I tell him to stay back? |
There can be some miscellaneous errors in the use of verbs. One is a tendency to curtail verbs by dropping a letter or a syllable.
Wrong: | She never expects us to come. |
Right: | She never expected us to come. |
While using verbs one must keep in mind that the arrangement of verbs in a sentence should be logical, i.e. that of the actual sequence of events.
Wrong: | She ate, dressed and washed before nine o'clock. (wrong unless this was the order of procedure). |
Right: | She washed, dressed and ate before nine o'clock. |